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Golden Bundt cake dusted with powdered sugar on a plate, similar to this buttermilk pound cake recipe
Chef Emma

Buttermilk Pound Cake

A classic Southern pound cake made with butter, sugar, five eggs, flour and buttermilk, with a pinch of baking soda for a soft, fine, tender crumb. Bake it in a 12-cup Bundt pan or two loaf pans.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks / 226 g, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 500 g
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour 375 g, spooned and leveled
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt or 3/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk 240 ml, low-fat or whole, room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Buttermilk glaze (optional)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g, sifted
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk plus a few drops if needed
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract plus a pinch of salt

Equipment

  • 12-cup Bundt pan, 10-inch tube pan or two 9x5-inch loaf pans
  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Kitchen scale
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease every ridge of a 12-cup Bundt pan with soft butter and dust with flour (or use two 9x5-inch loaf pans).
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk.
  3. Beat the butter 1 minute, add the sugar and beat on medium-high 5 to 6 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, about 30 seconds each, scraping the bowl.
  5. On low speed, add the flour in three parts alternating with the buttermilk in two, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined and fold once with a spatula.
  6. Spread the batter in the pan, tap to release air bubbles and bake 65 to 75 minutes (loaf pans 55 to 65 minutes), until a skewer comes out clean and the center reads 205°F to 210°F (96°C to 99°C).
  7. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, turn out and cool completely, about 2 hours. Whisk the glaze ingredients and spoon over the cooled cake, if using.

Notes

Use room-temperature eggs and buttermilk. No buttermilk? Put 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar in a cup, add whole milk to 1 cup and let it stand 10 minutes. Don't taste the raw batter: it contains raw flour and eggs. Store wrapped at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Calories are an estimate per slice (1/16) from USDA FoodData Central values, without glaze; the glaze adds about 30 calories per slice.